Com. v. Johnstone, A.

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 28, 2015
Docket1181 EDA 2013
StatusUnpublished

This text of Com. v. Johnstone, A. (Com. v. Johnstone, A.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Com. v. Johnstone, A., (Pa. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

J-S12004-15

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA Appellee

v.

ANTHONY JOHNSTONE

Appellant No. 1181 EDA 2013

Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence March 20, 2013 In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-51-CR-0011422-2012

BEFORE: BOWES, SHOGAN and FITZGERALD,* JJ.

MEMORANDUM BY FITZGERALD, J.: FILED SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

Appellant, Anthony Johnstone, appeals from the judgment of sentence

imposed in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas on his

convictions of aggravated assault1 and related offenses. He claims the

evidence was insufficient to sustain his conviction or impose a mandatory

* Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court. 1 18 Pa.C.S. § 2702(a). Although the Commonwealth did not proceed under a specific subsection of the aggravated assault statute, the trial court found Appellant guilty, in relevant part, because it “believe[d] he attempted to cause serious bodily injury.” N.T., 1/28/13, at 71. Therefore, we analyze this case as if the court found him guilty under Subsection (a)(1) of the aggravated assault statute. See 18 Pa.C.S. § 2702(a)(1) (attempt to cause serious bodily injury). J-S12004-15

“second strike” minimum sentence under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9714(a).2 We affirm

in part, but vacate the sentence and remand for resentencing.

The trial court summarized the facts underlying Appellant’s conviction

as follows:

On June 24, 2012, at around 12:40 a.m., Ieisha Carter [(“Complainant”)], her friend Dawn Johnstone (“Johnstone”), Johnstone’s goddaughter Amber Brown (“Brown”), and Johnstone’s husband[, Appellant], were leaving a wedding reception located in the area of 8000 Germantown Avenue in the City and County of Philadelphia. They all rode in Johnstone’s truck and drove towards [Appellant’s] house. [Complainant], who was asked by Johnstone to drive the truck, sat in the driver’s seat. Johnstone sat in the front passenger seat; Brown sat in the driver’s side rear, and [Appellant] was seated in the rear on the passenger side. Prior to entering the truck, Johnstone and [Appellant] had an argument, but the argument ended after leaving the reception. [Complainant], Johnstone, and [Appellant] had been drinking at the reception.

As [Complainant] started to drive the vehicle toward Johnstone’s home, [Appellant] told Johnstone he wanted to return to the reception. Johnstone replied “I’m not staying,” and the vehicle grew silent. [Complainant] testified that [Appellant] then leaned forward, placed both his hands around Johnstone’s throat from the rear passenger seat, and began choking her. [Complainant] saw [Appellant] grab Johnstone’s throat, pulled the vehicle over, and parked, having only driven a block away from the wedding reception. With her seatbelt still engaged, [Complainant] reached out to her right side and attempted to hit [Appellant] with open palms to get him off of Johnstone. [Appellant] then stopped choking Johnstone and began punching [Complainant] in the face and forehead with closed fists. [Appellant] punched [Complainant] approximately five to ten times. As

2 The Commonwealth has not filed an appellee’s brief.

-2- J-S12004-15

[Appellant] was punching [Complainant, she] attempted to get [him] off of her by hitting him. [Complainant] testified that the pain was hurting so much that she leaned over to the front against the steering wheel and saw blood dripping down. [Appellant] did not stop punching [Complainant] until she leaned forward, placing her beyond [Appellant’s] reach. [Complainant] started to bleed. [Appellant] then exited the vehicle and walked away. At some point during, or shortly after the altercation, Brown called the police with [Complainant’s] cell phone.

The police picked up [Appellant] from further down the street and brought him back to the vehicle in handcuffs. One of the female officers instructed [Complainant] to exit the truck and informed her that she needed to go to the hospital. The police transported [Complainant] to Chestnut Hill Hospital, where she stayed for approximately 4-5 hours accompanied by Johnstone. [Complainant] received five stitches on her forehead just next to her left eyebrow. Both her eyes were swollen and puffy, and she missed two weeks of work due to her injuries. [Complainant] testified she was in pain for months following the incident, and occasionally still suffers from sharp shooting pains to her forehead where the stitches were located.

Trial Ct. Op., 6/16/14, at 1-3 (record citations omitted).

Appellant was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, and

reckless endangerment with respect to Complainant.3 On January 28, 2013,

he proceeded to a nonjury trial, and the trial court found him guilty of all

charges. After the court entered its verdict, the Commonwealth asserted it

was prepared to proceed to an immediate sentencing hearing. N.T.,

1/28/13, at 73. After Appellant requested a continuance for the preparation

3 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 2701(a), 2705.

-3- J-S12004-15

of a presentence investigation report (“PSI”) and a mental health report, the

following exchange occurred:

[Commonwealth]: . . . This is my understanding a second strike case [under 42 Pa.C.S. 9714(a)]. I just need to know whether there’s going to be—if he will be contesting the previous conviction. I’ll need a certification and the Quarter Sessions File.

[Appellant’s Counsel]: I would ask for one.

[Commonwealth]: Okay.

Id. at 73-74. The court granted the request for continuance and the

preparation of the presentence reports.

On March 20, 2013, the trial court convened a sentencing hearing.

The court confirmed the parties received the PSI. N.T., 3/20/13, at 2. The

court asked whether “this [was] a second strike case.” The Commonwealth

responded, “Yes,” and requested an aggregate ten to twenty year sentence

with no additional probation. Id. at 2-3. Appellant did not object to the

accuracy of the PSI or the application of the mandatory “second strike”

sentence under Section 9714(a). Id. at 3. After hearing from

Complainant,4 Appellant, and Appellant’s counsel, the court sentenced

Appellant as follows:

[M]y hands are tied with the mandatory sentence. I’m sure you’re aware of that from your previous convictions.

4 Complainant disagreed with the imposition of a ten-year mandatory minimum sentence. N.T., 3/20/13, at 4 (“When I heard ten to twenty, my heart just dropped. That bothered me.”).

-4- J-S12004-15

I’m sure they told you about the strikes and with the second strike, there comes a mandatory sentence. . . .

* * *

. . . Well, as mandated by the law, it’s 10 to 20 years of incarceration [for aggravated assault.5] I will give credit for time served and indicate he’s work release eligible.

Id. at 8. Appellant did not object. Id.

Appellant did not file post-sentence motions, but filed a timely notice

of appeal on April 19, 2013. He complied with the court’s order to submit a

Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) statement of errors complained of on appeal.

Appellant presents the following questions for our review:

Was not the evidence insufficient to convict [A]ppellant of aggravated assault . . . as there was no evidence of serious bodily injury, attempt to cause it or evidence that [A]ppellant specifically intended to inflict serious bodily injury under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of life?

Did not the [trial] court err by imposing a “second strike” sentence under 42 Pa.C.S.

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